Improvement in steam-pumps



UNITED STATESv PATWE@ LOUIS C. RODIER, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-PUMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,188, dated August14, 1866.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS C. RODIER of Springfield, Hampden county,Commonwealth ot' Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam-Pumps; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

My improvements relate to that kind of pumping-en gine known as directand double acting,77 consisting ot' a steam-engine the piston-rod ofwhich is continued outward and enters a water-cylinder of a pumpattached to the same bed with the steam-cylinder, the piston of the pumpbeing attached to the opposite end of this piston-rod from thesteampiston.

It has been customary in such pumping-engines to use a tappet-armattached to the piston-rod between the two cylinders for the purpose ofworking the steam-valve; but this engine is so arranged that notappet-arm or other outside connection between the workin g parts andthe valve is used.

By this arrangement I do away with all the complicated mechanismgenerally used to operate the steam-valve, and also am able to place theengine and pump nearer together on the bed, making a lighter and morecompact machine, and one which is necessarily stronger and more durable,from the tact that the cylinders are so much nearer together th at thereis no chance for spring or breakage in the bed between the cylinders,and the piston-rod, being shorter and unencumbered by additional weight,is not so easily sprung out of line.

Theseimprovements relate both to the engine and pump; and they consistof, in the engine, a peculiar and advantageous arrangement ofsteam-ports,in connection with the main valve and two smaller valves inthe cylinder-heads, the manner and purpose of which arrangement I willmore fully show hereinafter; also, in the pump, a compact and convenientarrangement ofthe valves.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure l is a side viewof myimproved steam-pump. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, looking atthe pump. Figs. 3 and 4 are side views of the upper and lower valveplugsof the pump, respectively.

I will rst describe the construction of the engine A is the cylinder inwhich the pistou B works, steam being let on at the two ends through theports G C and received into these ports from the interior ot' the hollowcylindrical slide-valve D, into which the steam is taken from a jacket,E, in the valve-chest around this valve, through the opening F in thevalve, which communicates with thejacket by means ot' a similar opening,G, in its side, the jacket receiving steam from the boiler through thepipe H. After being used in the cylinder, this steam is exhaustedthrough the ports C G', passing out into the exhaust Kthrough the Valve,which, acting like an ordinary slidevalve, forms a connection with thisport C or C' and the exhaust-port, to let od the steam before it hadformed a connection between the live-steam pipe and the same port C orC.

It will be seen from the above description that the arrangement andopera-tion of the main steam ports and valve are like that of anordinary slide-valve, excepting that steam is let into thc interior of ahollow valve, which is cylindrical, instead of on the top of a datslide.

In the arrangement of secondary ports and valves for operating the mainvalve D consists my improvements in the engine. These I will nowdescribe: In each end of the cylinder I form a cavity, L, which acts asa reservoir for live steam received from the jacket E, before mentioned,through the port c. In this cavity, and nearly filling it diametrically,I place the small valve I), communicating with the interior ofthesteam-cylinder by means of the stem c, workingthroughasteam-tightopening,d. This valve has a small opening, c, cutinit, toallow of the passage of steam by it. From this reservoir the port fruns, leading into the valvechest, and from the valve-chest the smallexhaust-port g runs, communicating with the main exhaust K, so that themain valve forms a piston working in its cylinder, which is thevalve-chest, and operated precisely like the main piston below it, byalternately letting on and exhausting steam at either end of thispiston-valve.

The operation of this engine is as follows: The piston and valves beingin the position shown in Fig. 1, steam, being let on, goes into theinterior of the main valve D, and passes out through the port C into thecylinder, driving the piston to the opposite end of the cylcape..

inder. When it `(the piston) arrives at the opposite end of the cylinderit strikes the stem c of the valve 'b, forcing it open and allowing livesteam from the reservoir to pass over the valve, through the cut e, andup through the port f into the interior of the valve-chest. This startsthe valve, which immediately travels to the opposite end of the chest,bringing it to the position shown at Fig. 1 in red lines, and allows thesteam to pass fromy the interior of the valve D into the opposite end ofthe cylinder from that which it has before been entering, and also thismotion of the valve uncoversthe opening of the port g Where it entersinto the valve-chest, thus allowing the steam which has propelled thevalve D to es- This operation reverses the motion of the piston, causingit to return to its original position, and as it starts to return thepressure in the reservoir on the small valve geloses it. Arriving at theopposite end it acts on the small valve g at that end, causing the otherparts to operate in a similar manner to that described, reversing itsmotion again, and these operations are repeated alternately at each endof the cylinder, causing a continuous reciprocating motion of thepiston.

As soon as-the main valve passes over the opening of the exhaust-port gin itsforward motion, in the act of reversing, 'the air inclosed Y inthe valve-chest between the end of the valve and thevhead of the chestis compressed, forming a cushion, so that the valve may move easily andnot strike against the end of the valve-chest; also, in order to preventthis pressure from acting on the small valve b to open it, a smallport., lz, is provided in the main valve, which communicates, when thevalve D has passed far enough toward the end of its stroke, with theexhaust-port g by means of the small port s, arranged in the valve-seatfor that purpose, thus allowing the compressed airor steam to escape;also, by allowing the stem of the valve b to extend into the interior ofthe cylinder, so that the -pistonstrikes it before it reaches the end ofits stroke, a steamcushion for the main piston is formed. In both theseWays of cushioning no steam is wasted and no extra steam used, as is thecasein some pumping-engines.

I will now show my improvements in the pump. This pump is double-acting,and has two flap valves beneath the cylinder communicating with thesuction pipe, and two similar valves above the cylinder communicatingwith the delivery-pipe. Each pair of these valves is placed in a plug orcylinder, which is inserted in an opening made for the purpose, andfastened there in any desired manner, the object being,in sucharrangement,

' to place the valves in such a manner that they may be readily removedand examined.v These l valves are secured in place in a peculiar manner,having trunnions 7a 7s', which fit in notches out in the upper surfaceof the plugs, so that when the plugs are inserted the valves are securedin place; but when the plugs are re- The arrangement of the lower plugconsists merely of a single cavity communicating with the suction-pipe,and having an opening on each side, which the valves alternately openVand close,l allowing the ywater to flow into either end of the cylinderas the piston is moved, and preventing it from being forced out from theother end in the manner of ordinary valves Virnrsimilar situations. Theupper plug is formed into three apartments by a longitudinal and lateralpartition, so that the Water maynot, when forced, tlovvr through theopposite valve back into the cylinder, but may have a free passage outinto the delivery-pipe or up into the yair-chamber.

Sometimes, even when the valves are arranged as before described, theopposite valve from that through which the water is forced becomesaccidentally raised, allowing the water to flow through into thecylinder. In order to prevent this and insure the closing of one valvewhen the other is opened, I arrange the yoke U, hung on a pivot, in sucha manner that when one valve is raised it strikes this yoke and causesit to press down on the valve on the opposite side, thus rendering tsclosing sure. I also connect the lower valves together by means of aiiexible connection in the interior, though this is not so essential, asthe tendency of the current of Water through this plug is to draw downand close the opposite valves, while in the upper valves the tendency ismore to open them.

The advantages I claim for this pumpingengine, considered as a whole,and arising from the various improvements here described,

united and used in connection with each other,

are perfect surety of operation, (as, if the piston moves to the end ofthe cylinder, it must operate the small valve, thusmovin g the main-valve and reversing its own motion, no dependence being placed onoutside and complicated mechanism,) compactness, and a small number ofparts, and consequently cheapness of construction.

The arrangement of the valves in the Water-cylinder, which renders themsure in their operation and easily removed for examination or change, isof great importance, as it is at this place that4 pumps most. frequentlyneed examination.

Now, having described my invention, what I` claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isf 1. The arrangement, in each end of asteamcylinder, of the valve b, with a steam-reservoir, L, and port f, soas to be operated by the piston to admit steam tothe main valve-chest,substantially in the manner an( for the purpose set forth. f

2. rlhe construction ofthe stem of the valve b at each end of thecylinder in such a manner that it shall be moved, reversing the mainvalve before the piston reaches the end of the cylinder, so as tocushion the piston, as setforth.

3. The arrangement of the ports h and s, respectively, in the main valveand its seat7 so as to communicate with the exhaust'port and thevalve-chest, substantially as set forth.

4. The arrangement of the Water-valves, hung on trunnions in the plugs,substantially as set forth.

5. The construction of the upper plug, di-

vided into three parts by means of partitions Communicating with eitherend of the Cylinder, and with the delivervpipe and air-chamber, as shownand described,

6. The arrangement of the yoke U, operating substantially as set forth.

L. U. RODIER.

Witnesses:

J. B. GARDINER, EDWARD H. HYDE.

